Valve-operating mechanism for presses.



' 10.787,007. g l lPATENTED APR. 11, 1905.

J. M. STUART. Y A

VALVEUPERATING MECHANISM FOR PRESSES.

'APPLICATION FILED JULY 29, 1304,.

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PATENTED AEE.` 11,-1905.

0 J. 1M. STUART. 'VALVE OPERATING ME'GEANTSM EOE EEESSES.

APPLICATIONIILED JULY 28, 1904.

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5mm/Lto@ Patented April 11, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. STUART, OF'ELMO, TEXAS.

VALVE-OPERATING MEoHANiSM Fon` PRESSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,007, dated April11, 1905.

Application iqdquiy 29,1904. serial No. 218,713.V

To @ZZ whom, 712 may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN M. STUART, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elmo, in the county of Kaufman and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Valve-Operating Mechanism for Presses, ofwhich the 1following is a specilication. p

My present invention relates to further improvements in baling mechanismof that type exemplified in my Patent No. 748,231, wherein is shown aHuid-operated press controlled by valve mechanism which is operatedautomatically from a condenser constituting thefeeder of the press.

This invention has for its object to improve the operating connectionsbetween the condenser and the valve mechanism of the press', withspecial reference to the provision of means for economizing the steamorother motive uid utilized to drive the packer.

A further object is to provide means for regulating the duration of theinterval during which the packer remains Aat .rest to permit the feedingof a new charge of cotton or other materialto the charging-chambers.

Other objects subordinate to those enumerated will appear as thesucceeding description of the preferred embodiment of the invention isdeveloped.

In the accompanying drawings, .Figure 1 is an elevation, partly insection,showing my apparatus complete,.and Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 arediagrammatic views showing the ,controlling-valve and its operatingmechanism in dif-Y ferent progressive positions.

Like numerals indicate corresponding parts in the several views. Y

In order that this invention may be better understood, it may beexplained, by way of premise, that the Munger baling-machine,illustrated in Patent N o. 680,164 to R. S. Munger, and for theequipmentof which my invention is primarily intended, includes aturn-table 1, carrying at opposite sides of its axis a pair ofbaling-chambers or press-boxes, one of which (indicated by the numeral2) is shown in the drawings. By the intermittent rotation ot' the table1 the boxes 2 are alternately presented belowa charging-chamber 3 toreceive the cotton fed to the chargingchamber from a condenser4 throughthe medium of a chute 5 and a hopper 5', as shown. The cotton fed to thechamber 3 is forced into 8, reciprocating in a cylinder 9, supported inany suitable manner above the chargingchamber.

The piston 8 is operated by a motive fluid received from the supply-pipe10, led from a suitable source of supply to a controllingvalve casing 11at a point ydiametrically opposite an exhaust-.pipe 12.' From otherdiametrically-opposed points of the casing 11 are i led pipes 13 and 14,communicating' with the opposite ends of the cylinder 9. Within thecasing 1l is mounted a rotary controllingvalve 15, provided with a pairof arcuate ports'16 and 17, which serve, in a manner well understood inthe art, to place the opposite ends of the cylinder in communicationwith the supply and exhaust pipes alternately. Thus by partiallyrotating the controllingvalve alternatelyinopposite directions themotive Huid will-)be alternately supplied to and exhausted from each endof the cylinder to eiiiect the reciprocation ot' the piston 8 and theconnected tramper 6.-

To the Well-known construction thus far described it has been my objectto add efficient automatic mechanism for properly operating thecontrolling-valve and for also operating a regulating-valve designed toeffect an automatic increase of the quantity of steam supplied to thecylinder 9 as the accumulation of cotton in the press-box increases.While the patented construction Jr'or attaining these ends is efficient,I have devised further improvements for increasing the eiciency, and Iwill now proceed to describe my present'arrangement of valve-operatingmechanism.

The stem 18 of the controlling-valve 15 is provided at its lower endwith a crank-arm 19, whose wrist-pin 20 has connection with one end of aconnecting-rod 2l, having a separable slotted extension 23, withintheslot 24 of which are located a pair ot' adjustable stops 25, Betweenthe stops 25 is designed to play the upper end of a lever 26,fulcrumedat its IOO lower end upon a bracket 27 and movable in asuitable guide 28, the bracket and guide being preferably carried by theframe of the condenser 4, as shown.

The upper end portion of the lever 26 is equipped with a series ofpin-holes 29, facilitating the adjustable attachment of one end of apitman 3Q, connected at its opposite end to the wrist of a crank 31,fixed to a countershaft 32, mounted in suitable bearings on thecondenser-frame. The shaft 32 is geared to the driving-shaft 33 of thecondenser through the medium of a gear-wheel 34, mountedl on the shaft32, and a somewhat larger mutilated gear 35, mounted on thedriving-shaft 33. The teeth of the wheels A34 and 35 correspond innumber', so that a completeV rotation will be imparted to thecounter-shaft for each complete rotation of the driving-shaft. Byreason, however, of the fact that the two gears are of differentdiameters a considerable interval or dwell 36 will occur between theadjacent ends of the toothed segment of the wheel 35. Consequentlyduringa given period of movement of the driving-shaft 33, thecounter-shaft 32 will remain stationary and to this fact is due Atheattainment of the primary objects of the present invention. The meaningof this statement will be clear from a consideration of the fourdiagrammatic views, Figs. 2 to 5, in connection with the following eX-planation:

The diagram in Fig. 2 corresponds to the position of the parts' as theyappear in Fig. lwthat is to say, the valve 15 is in position to supplysteam to the lower end of the cylinder 9, the upper end of the cylinderis in communication with the exhaust, and the piston has reached theupward limit of its movement. The cotton will now be fed from thecondenser to the charging-chamber 3, and in order to give time for thefeed the upper end of the lever 26 will traverse the slot 24 in theconnecting-rod 21 while the counter-shaft 32 is making a quarter-turn.The parts will now be the in positions shown in Fig. 3, and as the lever26 will now have reached the end of the slot 24 continued movement ofthe countershaft will cause the rod 21 to be moved endwise for thepurpose of partially rotating the controlling-valve 15 sufciently topartially open communication between the supply-pipe 10 and the upperend of the cylinder 9 by way of the port lthat is to say, the movementof the valve will continue until it assumes the position shown in Fig.4-and wherein it will be seen that communication between the lower endof the cylinder 9 and the supply-pipe has been cut off and that the port16, while it has not been presented in direct coincidence to the pipes10 and 14 has, nevertheless, advanced sufficiently to permit arestricted supply of steam to the upper end of the cylinder. The steamthus admitted is suicient, however, to move the piston down to presentthe tramper or packer 6 to the cotton in the charging-chamber. Thenthevalve has reached the position shown in Fig. 4, the end of thetoothed segment'of the wheel 35 will pass beyond the point of engagementwith the wheel 34, and as a consequence said wheel and thevalveoperatingmechanism connected thereto will remain stationary whilethe packer is moving down to the cotton and while the dwell 36 of themutilated gear 35 is passing the wheel 34. By the time the packer ortramper 6 reaches the cotton in the charging-chamber the teeth of themutilated gear will again mesh with the gear 34, the continued movementof which will complete the actuation of the valve 15, thus opening theport 16 to insure the continued movement of the piston 3 under a fullhead of steam. The parts will now have assumed the positions shown inFig. 5, further rotation of the wheel 34 serving to move the lever 26 tothe opposite end of the slot 24 and to thereafter effect the reversal ofthe valve 15 for the purpose of elevating the packer. It will thus beseen thatI the present invention involves means operated by thecondenser or feeder to eil'ect lirst a partial movement of thecontrolling-valve and to then complete the valve movement after aninterval, so that the tramper will move down to the cotton under apartial head of steam and will then be driven under a full head of steamto compress the cotton in the press-box.

The driving-shaft 33 of the condenser is of course geared to thedrum-shaft 37, this connection being preferably effected by means of asprocket-chain 38, passed around sprockets 39 and 40 on the shafts 33and 37, respectively.

As successive charges of cotton are packed in the press-box theresistance opposed to the downward movement of the packer increases. Atlirst comparatively slight vpressure is suflicient to reciprocate thepacker even after it has reached the cotton; but after a considerablequantity of cotton has been forced into the box greater pressure isapplied to drive the packer down with snliicient force to effect theproper compression of the staple. l therefore utilize in my presentconstruction, asin that described in the patent, a regulator including athrottle\f'alve 41, located in the supply-pipe 10 and having its stemequipped with a ratchet-wheel 42. '.lhis wheel is advanced step by stepby a counterweighted pawl 43, mounted on a swinging` arm 44, pivotallysupported at its lower end by a 'bracket 45, outstanding from the pipe10. rlhe arm 44 is swung in unison with the lever 26 through the mediumof an interposed link 46. The. hopper 5'l is provided with a swingingcounterweightcd door 47, which is normally closed, but which may beopened for the purpose of enabling the operator to lOO llO

level thecotton in theboX under certain conditions. l

Briefly, the operation of the described apparatus is as follows: Thecondenser being in operation and the parts being positioned as shown inFig. l, an initial charge of cotton will be fed into thecharging-chamber 3 while the valveoperating mechanism is moving from thepositionV l shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3. Thecontrolling-valve l5 will then be partially operated to admit a limitedsupply of steam to the upper end of the cylinder, the valve-operatingmechanism mov ing from the' position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown inFig. 4. The valve-operating mechanism will now remain stationary whilethe condenser continuesv to feed cotton to the charging chamber andwhile the tramper moves'down to the cotton. Finally, the valveoperatingmechanism will be moved from the position shown in Fig. 4 to thatshownin Fig. 5 for the purpose of lfully opening the port 16 of the valve toadmit a'full head of steam behind the piston. Thelatter will now bedriven down with considerable force to compress the cotton, and thispressure will continue while the lever 26 is retraversing the slot 21,after which the controlling-valve will be reversed to admit steam to thelower end of the cylinder for the purpose of raising the tramper. Theparts will then be positioned as in Fig. 2 for a repetition of thedescribed operation.`

As the repetition continues and the cotton ac-l cumulates in thepress-box the throttle-valve 41 will be opened wider and wider, so thatafter the bale has assumed considerable proportions the baling mechanismwill operate under maximum pressure. v t

It is believed that the foregoing description is ample for the purposesof this disclosure; but it may be stated in conclusion that while theillustrated embodimentof the invention is thought at this time to bepreferable I reserve the right to effect such changes, modifications,and variations of the illustrated structure as may fall within the scopeof the appended claims.

What I claim isl. In baling mechanism, the combination with a balingappliance, including a reciprocatory fluid-operated packer, of means forcontrolling the supply ot' motive iiuid and operative to increase thesupply at an intermediate point of the packer-stroke.

2. In a baling mechanism, the combination with a baling applianceincluding arecipro.-

catory Huid-operated packer, of a controllingbe tramped thereby, and anoperative con-` Valve, and automatic means for operating the valve tosupply motive iiuid to the packer and to increase the Huid-supply at anintermediate point of the effective-stroke of the packer.

3. rl`he combination with a fluid-operated packer and controllingmechanism therefor, of means for feeding cotton to the packer to nectionbetween the cotton-feeding means and the controlling mechanism, wherebysaid controlling mechanism will be operated to supply motive uid formoving` the packer to the cotton and to increase the fluid-supply duringthat portion of the packer-stroke whereby the cotton is tramped.

4. The combination with a baling applit ance including a press-box and afluid-operated packer, of valve mechanism controlling the fluid-supply,a cotton-condenser larranged to deliver cotton to the packer, adriving-shaft for the condenser, and connections between thedriving-shaft and the valve mechanism to effect an increase in the rateof Huid-supply after the packer has completed a-portion of its trampingstroke:

5. The combination with a Huid-operated packer and valve mechanismcontrolling the uid-supply, of valve-operating mechanism including adriving-shaft, a mutilated gear the motive-iiuid supply after eachreciprocation of the packer, and for operating the controlling-valvemechanism to supply motive fluid for the reciprocation of the packer andto increase the motive-Huid supply at an intermediate point of thepacker-stroke.

7. The combination with a reciprocatory huid-operated packer andapress-box, of a controlling-valve Jfor the motive liuid, a condenserarranged to feedv cotton to the pressbox to be tramped by the packer, a-driving shaft for the condenser, a mutilated gear carried by saiddriving-shaft, a counter-shaft provided with a gear-wheel arranged to bedriven by the mutilated gear, and operating connections between thecounter-shaft and the controlling-valve. f

8. The combination with a reciprocatory iiuid-operated packer, of acontrolling-valve for the motive fluid, and operating connectionsfor thevalve including a rod provided with a pair of adjustable stops, a leverinterposed between the stops, and means for oscill-ating the lever.

9. The combination with a reciprocatory Huid-operated packer and acontrolling-valve for the motive iiuid, of valve-operating connectionsincluding a slotted rod,I relatively adjustable stops mounted in theslot, a lever IOO disposed to engage the stops, and means .for K'Huid-operated packer and a press-box, of a means including a mutilatedgear for operzit- 10 Condenser disposed to feed cotton to the pressingthe lever from the Condenser. box, a controlling-valve, aregulating-valve, ln testil'nony that; 1 claim the foregoing asValve-operating means including an operatmy own I have hereto :Lhixed mySignature in 3 ing-lever` common to said Valves, a ratehetthe presenceof two witnesses.

Wheellixed to the regulating-valve, acounter- JOHN M. S'lUAR'l. weightedpawl engaging the ratchet-Wheel, a VitneSSeS: swinging arm carrying thepawl and having W. C. MCGORD, connection with the operating-lever, andC. C. BENNETT.

